Calendar is quite a task of entries

Irene C. MichelColumnist

Published: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 15, 2013 at 2:47 p.m.

As I began writing this, I was just about ready to remind myself not to forget to call child No. 4 and wish him happy birthday. Then I caught myself. February 17 is not his birthday, it’s my niece’s birthday. His birthday is Feb. 19. For too many years now I’ve been wishing him a happy birthday two days early.

He and my niece are both good sports about it, but at my age, I’m sporting disaster if I don’t get their birthdays straight. They might try to put me away somewhere. Who knows? They might even think I could be a danger to myself or others.

Just to assure myself that I remember their birthdays on the proper day, I marked my calendar on the 17th: Janice’s birthday, and on the 19th: Charles’ birthday. I decided not to take any chances. For once, I’m going to get it right. Well, I’m going to try anyway.

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying to complete a calendar with the family’s birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Every time I think I’m finished I remember another one. Just a few minutes ago I looked at that calendar and have one great-granddaughter’s birthday in January and February. That’s bad enough, but I have her listed under two different family names, her dad’s and her grandfather’s. No, I’m not “losing it.” I caught my own error, didn’t I? That should prove something.

So far, I have more than 100 entries on my calendar, but I must be short a few since I’m including birthdays and anniversaries. I hope I didn’t bite off more than I can chew.

A few years ago, I made a calendar but can’t find my copy. Oops, should I have admitted that? I may be paving my way to my “retirement” home. Let’s hope not.

Our family is so big that, in the process of making this calendar, I found out that some children had been added to families and I didn’t know about it. Or more likely I knew and forgot. (Another nail hammered into the building of my “retirement home.”) Something’s telling me I’d best stop advertising my shortcomings.

Somehow, I don’t think I need to worry about being sent to my “retirement home.” Once they see the finished product they’ll know that it took a person with a good head on her shoulders to undertake such an endeavor. Well, I hope that’s what they think anyway. I hate for them to think I was a “fruitcake” to take on such a task. I will say one thing: I had a great time putting this calendar together and would do it again if I had to.

I might have to, too. With babies arriving like snowflakes falling in the northern states, it won’t be long before this calendar is outdated. Unless I can outsource the work, I’ll have to do it myself. It is a pleasant task, so I wouldn’t mind doing it myself. (That should be a few points in my favor when it comes to “retirement home” time.)

Besides, I plan to keep a copy of it on my computer — just in case I lose my paper copy. I don’t want to take any chances.

Now, if I remember to look at my calendar for those two birthdays I mentioned earlier, I should be okay. But just in case I forget to look at my calendar, today I wish Janice a happy birthday, and Charles, have a happy birthday Tuesday. That should do it.

Irene C. Michel, a native of Terrebonne Parish, is a columnist for The Courier and Daily Comet. She can be reached at 876-3252 or ICMwriter84@gmail.com.

<p>As I began writing this, I was just about ready to remind myself not to forget to call child No. 4 and wish him happy birthday. Then I caught myself. February 17 is not his birthday, it's my niece's birthday. His birthday is Feb. 19. For too many years now I've been wishing him a happy birthday two days early.</p><p>He and my niece are both good sports about it, but at my age, I'm sporting disaster if I don't get their birthdays straight. They might try to put me away somewhere. Who knows? They might even think I could be a danger to myself or others. </p><p>Just to assure myself that I remember their birthdays on the proper day, I marked my calendar on the 17th: Janice's birthday, and on the 19th: Charles' birthday. I decided not to take any chances. For once, I'm going to get it right. Well, I'm going to try anyway.</p><p>For the past few weeks I've been trying to complete a calendar with the family's birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Every time I think I'm finished I remember another one. Just a few minutes ago I looked at that calendar and have one great-granddaughter's birthday in January and February. That's bad enough, but I have her listed under two different family names, her dad's and her grandfather's. No, I'm not “losing it.” I caught my own error, didn't I? That should prove something.</p><p>So far, I have more than 100 entries on my calendar, but I must be short a few since I'm including birthdays and anniversaries. I hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew.</p><p>A few years ago, I made a calendar but can't find my copy. Oops, should I have admitted that? I may be paving my way to my “retirement” home. Let's hope not.</p><p>Our family is so big that, in the process of making this calendar, I found out that some children had been added to families and I didn't know about it. Or more likely I knew and forgot. (Another nail hammered into the building of my “retirement home.”) Something's telling me I'd best stop advertising my shortcomings.</p><p>Somehow, I don't think I need to worry about being sent to my “retirement home.” Once they see the finished product they'll know that it took a person with a good head on her shoulders to undertake such an endeavor. Well, I hope that's what they think anyway. I hate for them to think I was a “fruitcake” to take on such a task. I will say one thing: I had a great time putting this calendar together and would do it again if I had to. </p><p>I might have to, too. With babies arriving like snowflakes falling in the northern states, it won't be long before this calendar is outdated. Unless I can outsource the work, I'll have to do it myself. It is a pleasant task, so I wouldn't mind doing it myself. (That should be a few points in my favor when it comes to “retirement home” time.)</p><p>Besides, I plan to keep a copy of it on my computer — just in case I lose my paper copy. I don't want to take any chances.</p><p>Now, if I remember to look at my calendar for those two birthdays I mentioned earlier, I should be okay. But just in case I forget to look at my calendar, today I wish Janice a happy birthday, and Charles, have a happy birthday Tuesday. That should do it.</p><p>Irene C. Michel, a native of Terrebonne Parish, is a columnist for The Courier and Daily Comet. She can be reached at 876-3252 or ICMwriter84@gmail.com.</p>